Technology News for Thursday 6th January 2022

1. Google's vision for Android at CES 2022 promises one of Apple's best qualities

That's Google's plan, anyway. At CES, Google shared its 2022 vision and laid out how it's making Android work better with devices that run Wear OS, Chrome OS, Windows and the new smart home standard Matter.

2. Asus really made a 17-inch foldable OLED laptop

Asus diving right into the deep end of the pool at CES 2022, not with an iPad-like 13-inch screen, but a massive 17-inch folding OLED display, called the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold. Asus calls it "the world's first 17.3-inch foldable OLED laptop," which I ...

3. Here's what to catch for the 'Pokemon Go' Mountains of Power event

All those Pokemon will fill gaps in a trainer's shiny collections. Ferroseed, Nosepass and Zubat will be particularly sought after. Those are rare catches while Machop had a Community Day and Geodude and Barboach have been around long enough that hard-core ...

4. Google Basically Pays Apple to Stay Out of the Search Engine Business, Class Action Lawsuit Alleges

Filed in a California court earlier this week against Apple, Google, and their respective CEOs, the lawsuit alleges the two companies have a non-compete agreement in the internet search business that violates US antitrust laws.

5. BMW wants to turn your car into a 'private cinema lounge' at CES 2022

BMW's new Theatre Screen is a 31-inch display with 8K resolution and Amazon Fire TV integration to entertain back-seat passengers in style. ... Car as movie theater. Neat. BMW ...

6. WhatsApp to roll out profile picture in notification window: Report

Instant messaging app, WhatsApp is testing a new profile picture update which will appear in the notification bar for its iOS users. This will be the first major feature rolled out by the messaging app in 2022. This feature has been enabled to some ...

7. 11 Trends Flipkart Expects from Smartphones in 2022

Smartphone sales in India continue to remain strong amid the pandemic, as the demand for all-in-one, affordable computing devices remains high. Despite the shortage in the chip industry, the adoption of smartphones has been tremendous all over the ...

8. Judge Dismisses Cydia Creator's Lawsuit Against Apple as Originally Filed

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers today granted Apple's motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the company by Jay Freeman, creator of an alternative App Store known as Cydia for iPhones and iPads that have been "jailbroken" to gain root ...

9. The weirdest and most interesting tech at CES 2022

The world's biggest consumer electronics trade show known as CES feels weird this year, with far fewer attendees gracing the Las Vegas conference halls where consumer tech companies show off their latest and greatest (almost) every January.

10. WhatsApp Starts Rolling Out Profile Pictures in iOS Message Notifications

WhatsApp is testing a helpful new feature on iOS that displays profile pictures in system notifications when users receive new messages from chats and groups. whatsapp notification. Image credit: WABetaInfo. First spotted by app specialist WABetaInfo, ...

11. Computer model predicts Omicron may evolve to increase transmission, immune escape

Mutations in Omicron can strengthen the affinity of the coronavirus variant for the human cells, which could increase its infectivity and evasion of antibodies, according to researchers. The scientists from Boston College in the US developed a computer ...

12. PSVR 2 release date: When will Sony's new VR headset be available to pre order in the UK?

The headset is the successor to the original PS VR, which arrived back in October 2016 and was the first (and remains the only) virtual reality headset for a mainstream game console. Most other headsets work with gaming computers, smartphones or are self- ...

13. Xiaomi 11i, 11i HyperCharge with 120W fast charging launched in India

Xiaomi has kicked off 2022 with the launch two new mid-range smartphones: The Xiaomi 11i and Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge. The key point is the 120 fast charging being offered on the Hypercharge, which the company claims can give a 100 per cent charge in ...

14. WhatsApp just made iOS notifications better with profile photos

WhatsApp has rolled out a small update for iOS users as far as the notifications are concerned, making for a better user experience. This update is currently only available for beta testers of the app on iOS and will be rolling out more widely soon.

15. CES 2022 gave us 5 things we'll be talking about all year

CES has always been a window into what the world of technology will look like down the line. But this year, it also served as a microcosm of our chaotic, messy and unpredictable lives today. The trade show was adamant about holding a hybrid show with a ...

16. NASA's first Artemis moon mission will have a virtual astronaut: Amazon's Alexa

It's all part of a collaboration between Amazon, Cisco, and Lockheed Martin, which built the Orion capsule for NASA. Lockheed approached the other two companies with the idea of developing a virtual assistant about three years ...

17. France spanks Google $170M, Facebook $68M over cookie consent dark patterns

Chalk another one up for decentralized enforcement: France's data protection watchdog has slapped headline-grabbing fines on Facebook and Google for failing to respect local (and pan-EU) cookie consent rules. Today, the CNIL said it's fined Google ...

18. Lenovo's weird new ThinkBook finds a whole new place to add a second screen

I've seen many PC makers try to squeeze a second display into a laptop over the years at CES. But Asus and Lenovo are the only companies that are still experimenting with the idea and, for the most part, succeeding. Asus is at CES 2022 with its latest ...

19. PlayStation VR 2: We still have a lot of questions for Sony after CES 2022

And its funky controllers are called PSVR 2 Sense controllers, similar in spirit to Sony's DualSense controllers. But the more interesting news is the exclusive game revealed: Horizon Call of the Mountain, a game that looks to be set in the same game world ...

20. Security Camera Snapshots in Home App Failing to Refresh for Some Users

HomeKit Secure Video cameras added to the Home app each have a thumbnail that provides a still view of recent footage, and normally these thumbnails automatically refresh on a periodic basis. However, users on multiple iOS versions ...

21. Target is selling PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles right now (update: sold out)

Update 8:46AM ET, January 6th: Target has sold out of consoles for now. We hope you had some luck on your side today. For those who have yet to nab a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, today Target is giving you another shot. The retailer listings are ...

22. Samsung at CES 2022: New Micro LED TVs, monitors and Neo QLEDs announced

The 2022 NEO QLED series was also showcased. These TVs feature a Neo Quantum Processor to offer more advanced contrast mapping using the backlight. They also have an EyeComfort mode, which automatically adjusts the display's brightness levels and colour ...

23. Konami Celebrates Castlevania's 35th Anniversary With... NFTs

While Castlevania's actual 35th anniversary was in 2021, Konami, it seems, is excited about NFTs this year. So, to mark the milestone, it's auctioning off some Castlevania NFTs. Advertisement. This shouldn't be a surprise if you hang out on Konami's ...

24. CES 2022: Acer announces additions to the Swift X range, new gaming laptops

The Swift X models come in 14-inch and 16-inch variants, enclosed in thin, durable chassis with a 16:10 aspect ratio display. Both are powered by the latest 12th Intel processors and come with Windows 11 out of the box.

25. The Year Ahead In Datacenter Compute

For more than a decade, the pace of the server market was set by the rollout of Intel's Xeon processors each year. To be sure, Intel did not always roll out new chips like clockwork, on a predictable and more or less annual cadence as the big ...

26. Meta's Oculus VR companion app gained ~2M downloads since Christmas

During the week of Christmas in the U.S. (Dec. 23-Dec. 29), adoption of the Oculus app jumped up by 517% week-over-week to reach 1.5 million installs, Sensor Tower's data indicates.

27. 5 new Nokia phones under $250 unveiled at CES 2022

As the iPhone and top-end Android phones continue to get more and more expensive, we're always keeping an eye out for more affordable options for people who don't need or want to spend multiple paychecks on a single piece of tech. At CES 2022, HMD Global, ...

28. Look upon my CES 2022 work from home setup and despair

A badly done collage of a fancy monitor, chair, keyboard, and other items. Working from home has been my normal for more than a decade, but it's getting a bit stale. Time to ...

29. Days Gone Was A 'Disappointment' To Sony Despite Selling Millions, Director Says

While developer Sucker Punch Productions celebrates the massive success of Ghost of Tsushima, which recently sold more than eight million copies, not everyone is reveling in the excitement. Case in point: Former Bend Studio director Jeff Ross, ...

30. Spotify Unveils Clickable Podcast Ads With Its Call to Action Card

The audio platform says that its early testing has shown the CTA cards yield a two-fold increase in site visits compared to non-clickable podcast ads. Podcasting ad spend is expected to reach $1.74 billion ...

31. Leaker Says iPhone 14 Pro to Feature Pill-Shaped Camera Cutout With Face ID Under the Display

iPhone 14 Pro models will feature a pill-shaped camera cutout at the top of the display, with the notch removed, according to tweets shared by leaker @dylandkt, who has proven to be a reliable source of Apple-related rumors over the last year or so.

32. Castlevania's 35th anniversary brings NFTs, not games

A Castlevania NFT celebrating the game's 35th anniversary. Konami is calling the Castlevania NFTs a part of its “Konami Memorial NFT” collection. The company describes this memorial collection as “an initiative to create ...

33. Google's attempt to replicate Apple's ecosystem is good news for all of us

This means that Fast Pair-compatible headphones will be able to seamlessly connect to these devices, just like AirPods can effortlessly pair with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV.

34. CES 2022: You can now try Visible's network for free before making the switch

Visible on Thursday announced a new service that allows potential customers to try the prepaid carrier's service and network coverage for free. Visible's new free trial service adds a second line of service to your phone using an ...

35. Covid-19: NHS Test and Trace 'sex voicemail' investigated

William Ryan, who had tested positive for Covid, told BBC Essex he was "disgusted" by the message. Mr Ryan, from Basildon, said he looked up the number and ...

36. Enduring covid-19 fears cancel E3 video game expo's in-person plans

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, the world's largest video game conference more commonly known as E3, will no longer be held in person in 2022, according to the Entertainment Software Administration (ESA), the event's organizer. The decision comes as ...

37. This Asus Zenbook is built for space, but you can use it in the office

The Asus Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition features a beautiful 14-inch 16:10 OLED display and a unique space-themed design. Plus, it's loaded with one of Intel's latest processors at CES 2022.

38. Gaming greatness came to CES 2022 with the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 laptop

Asus never fails to announce at least a couple of extraordinary devices at CES, and this year is no different. The company has developed several dual-display laptops over the past few years -- and the upcoming Republic of Gamers Zephyrus Duo 16 looks ...

39. 10-Month Nursing Strike Ends Amid Omicron Surge

"Our patients at Saint Vincent Hospital, they need us," Marlena Pellegrino, RN, a longtime nurse at the hospital and co-chair of the nurses' local bargaining unit with the MNA, told MedPage Today.

40. At CES 2022, AMD hit all the gaming targets

There are also the Ryzen 6000 and Ryzen 6000 Pro mobile CPUs, based on an updated 6nm Zen 3 Plus architecture and with newer RDNA 2-based integrated GPUs. And AMD showed off a low-end desktop graphics card, the Radeon RX 6500 XT, aimed at what used to be ...

41. Google Infringed on Sonos Speaker Technology, Trade Court Rules

The company will not be allowed to import products that infringe on Sonos patents, including smart speakers, video streaming devices, and some computers and phones.